MOSCOW WANTS GEORGIAN, OSSETIAN UNITS WITHDRAWN FROM SOUTHOSSETIA.

Maj. Gen. Anatoly Merkulev, commander of Russianpeacekeeping forces in South Ossetia, said that his men did notneed any help from Georgian and Ossetian forces and that the lattertwo groups should be withdrawn, Interfax reported July 21. Georgiahas agreed to this latest Russian demand, but the South Ossetianshave refused. Such a move would give Moscow virtually unchallengedde facto control of this region in Georgia and thus a major leveragainst Tbilisi.

Georgian Parliament Wants Russian Units Withdrawn from Abkhazia.